Responsible mineral and energy futures: Views at the nexus

Giurco, D; McLellan, B; Franks, DM; Nansai, K; Prior, T

Responsible mineral and energy futures: Views at the nexus

Giurco, D

McLellan, B Franks, DM Nansai, K Prior, T

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Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Journal of Cleaner Production, 2014, 84 (1), pp. 322 - 338
Issue Date:: 2014-01-01

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Giurco, D https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1707-9531	en_US
dc.contributor.author	McLellan, B	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Franks, DM	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Nansai, K	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Prior, T	en_US
dc.date.issued	2014-01-01	en_US
dc.identifier.citation	Journal of Cleaner Production, 2014, 84 (1), pp. 322 - 338	en_US
dc.identifier.issn	0959-6526	en_US
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/33392
dc.description.abstract	© 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. In an era of mineral resource constraints and radical transition in the energy sector, this paper reviews the extent to which a long-term view of production and use is adopted in both sectors. A long-term view including the mineral-energy nexus is deemed to be necessary (although not sufficient) for managing future resource constraints and energy transitions. Alarmingly, it identifies that the future of minerals resources and production is generally viewed only 5-10 years ahead rather than several decades or more as for energy. Additionally, the sectors are generally studied independently, rather than with a focus on the nexus. With these findings as evidence of an unaddressed problem, the paper then focusses on the current forces for change in the minerals industry: namely community drivers regarding social licence to operate, new technologies and consumer and government drivers on responsible minerals. As discussions of sustainable development become displaced by the emerging discourse of 'responsible' minerals, what is adopted and discarded? Whilst responsible minerals considers chain-of-custody, it does not adopt a long-term view and overlooks the mineral-energy nexus. Using three illustrative cases at the nexus of (i) rare earths-renewables, (ii) coal-steel and (iii) uranium-nuclear we extend the theoretical discussion on 'responsible' with a range of contemporary examples from the perspectives of producing (Australia) and consuming countries (Japan, Switzerland) and propose a research agenda for an expanded notion of responsible minerals which recognises the complexity of the mineral-energy nexus and connects it to progressing sustainable futures.	en_US
dc.relation.ispartof	Journal of Cleaner Production	en_US
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1016/j.jclepro.2014.05.102	en_US
dc.subject.classification	Environmental Sciences	en_US
dc.title	Responsible mineral and energy futures: Views at the nexus	en_US
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	1	en_US
utslib.citation.volume	84	en_US
utslib.for	0907 Environmental Engineering	en_US
utslib.for	0915 Interdisciplinary Engineering	en_US
utslib.for	0910 Manufacturing Engineering	en_US
pubs.embargo.period	Not known	en_US
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/DVC (Research)
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/DVC (Research)/Institute For Sustainable Futures
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Strength - ISF - Institute for Sustainable Futures
utslib.copyright.status	closed_access
pubs.issue	1	en_US
pubs.publication-status	Published	en_US
pubs.volume	84	en_US

Abstract:

© 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. In an era of mineral resource constraints and radical transition in the energy sector, this paper reviews the extent to which a long-term view of production and use is adopted in both sectors. A long-term view including the mineral-energy nexus is deemed to be necessary (although not sufficient) for managing future resource constraints and energy transitions. Alarmingly, it identifies that the future of minerals resources and production is generally viewed only 5-10 years ahead rather than several decades or more as for energy. Additionally, the sectors are generally studied independently, rather than with a focus on the nexus. With these findings as evidence of an unaddressed problem, the paper then focusses on the current forces for change in the minerals industry: namely community drivers regarding social licence to operate, new technologies and consumer and government drivers on responsible minerals. As discussions of sustainable development become displaced by the emerging discourse of 'responsible' minerals, what is adopted and discarded? Whilst responsible minerals considers chain-of-custody, it does not adopt a long-term view and overlooks the mineral-energy nexus. Using three illustrative cases at the nexus of (i) rare earths-renewables, (ii) coal-steel and (iii) uranium-nuclear we extend the theoretical discussion on 'responsible' with a range of contemporary examples from the perspectives of producing (Australia) and consuming countries (Japan, Switzerland) and propose a research agenda for an expanded notion of responsible minerals which recognises the complexity of the mineral-energy nexus and connects it to progressing sustainable futures.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/33392